Tuesday, July 3, 2012

June 1940: Action Comics #27

Cover by Paul Cassidy

'Superman' (by Jerry Siegel and Paul Cassidy): Lois Lane and Clark Kent investigate a rehabilitation home for young boys, and this being a Superman story the owners are crooks using the kids for their own profit. It's as formulaic as Golden Age Superman gets, but that's not a problem when the formula is a good one. It also helps to have Superman fight a dog called Black Satan.

'Tex Thomson' (by Bernard Baily): The Gorrah is back to seek revenge on Tex, along with his army of rat-men.  Recurring villains are few and far between in the Golden Age, especially visually distinctive ones, so I always like to see the Gorrah make a comeback.  The "Miss X" subplot is also kept ticking along, as the aforementioned mysterious woman helps them find the Gorrah's hideout.  Subplots are another rarity in the Golden Age, and simply because of the scarcity I really want to know who she is.  It's sure to be a disappointment, but I just appreciate that the creators are doing it at this early stage. 

In other stories: 'Pep Morgan' (by Fred Guardineer) deals with some crooks trying to fix a track meet. 'The Black Pirate' (by Sheldon Moldoff) kills a bearded giant, steals his treasure, and buys a ship.  In the text story (by Ivan Dmytryk), a coward proves his worth by charging the enemy unarmed.  'The Three Aces' (by Gardner Fox and Chad Grothkopf) investigate a mysterious blue plane that has been attacking US mail planes.  'Clip Carson' investigates a murder mystery in Hollywood, and becomes an advisor on an adventure movie.  And 'Zatara' (by Gardner Fox and Fred Guardineer) is on the trail of an explorer who disappeared while searching for the fabled "Missing Link".

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